Uttarakhand: Vigilance Dept arrests IAS Ram Vilas Yadav in disproportionate assets case

Trouble mounted for suspended IAS officer Ram Vilas Yadav as the Vigilance Department took him into custody on Wednesday over corruption charges. The Uttarakhand government had earlier suspended Yadav for amassing assets disproportionate to his income. According to Vigilance officials, the IAS official was taken into custody late last night after a day-long interrogation.

The Vigilance Department has registered a case against Yadav, who was accused of amassing assets disproportionate to his income. Following this, the Vigilance arrested the IAS officer. “IAS Ram Vilas Yadav, accused of amassing assets disproportionate to his income, has been taken into custody by State Vigilance Department,” State Vigilance Director Amit Sinha told ANI.

“After Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami's instructions to take strict action against corruption, IAS Ram Vilas Yadav arrested late last night after a day-long interrogation,” Amit Sinha further added. Earlier, the Uttarakhand Vigilance had raided the premises of Ram Vilas Yadav, former secretary of Lucknow Development Authority in connection with the case. The Vigilance registered a case against him and arrested him on Wednesday after interrogation.

Vigilance Dept raids IAS officer Ram Vilas Yadav

Earlier in June, the Uttarakhand Vigilance Department raided four locations associated with IAS officer Ram Vilas Yadav including his premises in Dehradun and Lucknow in a disproportionate assets case. A case was registered against him on April 19. Raids were also conducted in Ghazipur and Ghaziabad.

According to officials, the IAS officer had acquired assets of more than 500% of his income. Yadav was also summoned by the Vigilance Department for questioning. However, the former Lucknow Development Authority secretary skipped the summons. The IAS officer was transferred from Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand in 2019 and became the Additional Secretary in the Rural Department in Uttarakhand.

Now, the Vigilance has arrested Yadav and further probe in the case is underway. This comes weeks after the Enforcement Directorate arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal, who served as Jharkhand Mining Secretary in a similar case. Singhal was taken into custody in May in connection with a money laundering case linked to the alleged embezzlement of MGNREGA funds.

Image: PTI/ SHUTTERSTOCK